Cheapest form of wholecrop

[Granite Farmer]

I'd argue that wholecrop is more reliable on a dry farm where multicut systems cannot be depended on. Thats what matters, doing what is reliable.

 

[ollie989898]

I'd argue that wholecrop is more reliable on a dry farm where multicut systems cannot be depended on. Thats what matters, doing what is reliable.

Exactly, in a dry spring-summer where the maize is looking a bit unhappy and the grass has hardly recovered from first cut at least wholecrop is stood there looking at you with it's roots way down looking happy as larry.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

There was an interesting debate over on twitter over the weekend. Basically a couple of beef finishers who had gone down the forage based, tmr fed route, had done their sums and it wasn't actually paying as well as they thought. Once they'd factored in fuel, machinery and time costs of mixing the ration, they worked out it was cheaper to fill hoppers with barley.

Beef finishers are keen on costing things as a rule , they have to be , they don't just stick something in because it sounds good

 

[Kevtherev]

Anybody successfully Direct drilling whole crop mixes straight into grass?

You could do with oats if conditions were right or even rye as it needs to get going quick to outcompete the grass.

 

[Kevtherev]

Exactly, in a dry spring-summer where the maize is looking a bit unhappy and the grass has hardly recovered from first cut at least wholecrop is stood there looking at you with it's roots way down looking happy as larry.

Barley at just under 50kg per acre nursing new grass and clover ley 14kg per acre.
Superb silage for finishing cattle.
Chopped as whole crop.

 

[deere 6600]

Barley at just under 50kg per acre nursing new grass and clover ley 14kg per acre.
Superb silage for finishing cattle.
Chopped as whole crop.
View attachment 947873

Done this a few times does very well

 

[ollie989898]

Cripes Kev, that looks like 100% barley wholecrop sown at full cereal rates too. Looks a picture.

 

[aled1590]

Barley at just under 50kg per acre nursing new grass and clover ley 14kg per acre.
Superb silage for finishing cattle.
Chopped as whole crop.
View attachment 947873

At what stage was that cut?

 

[Scholsey]

This is grown organically, with putting ground at £100/acre I think this costs me £40/t fresh weight in the pit on a 10t fresh weight/acre crop.

couldn’t reliably get those yields with spring barley, been down as low as 4-5t/acre with spring barley last few years with droughts etc.

 

[Kevtherev]

At what stage was that cut?

Cut when it was at the cheesy stage

 

[aled1590]

Would like some opinions please…field of winter barley meant for combining but lots of grasses and Italians come through so will have to wholecrop. 1st cut silage this Friday and the barley is soft cheese and green. I know it hasn’t reached its potential starch and DM values but it would make things far easier to harvest it now whilst the contractors are with us and can bury it under the grass. Will it be pretty low value feed or anything useful? Tia

 

[Timbo]

Would like some opinions please…field of winter barley meant for combining but lots of grasses and Italians come through so will have to wholecrop. 1st cut silage this Friday and the barley is soft cheese and green. I know it hasn’t reached its potential starch and DM values but it would make things far easier to harvest it now whilst the contractors are with us and can bury it under the grass. Will it be pretty low value feed or anything useful? Tia

Cut cut cut

 

[aled1590]

Cut cut cut

That’s confirmed it then

 

[ollie989898]

If you aren't worried about the loss of the starch it's less of a problem but if you've spent good money on fungicides etc then you may want it closer as a wholecrop with the cracker in? Just be wary because barley can go from stood up like a jolly green giant to 'cripes we need to combine this it's 15%' very quickly.

 

[aled1590]

If you aren't worried about the loss of the starch it's less of a problem but if you've spent good money on fungicides etc then you may want it closer as a wholecrop with the cracker in? Just be wary because barley can go from stood up like a jolly green giant to 'cripes we need to combine this it's 15%' very quickly.

Hasn’t had any sprays on it this spring couldn’t get on the field it was too wet so not worried about the cost. That’s the reason so much grass has come through

 

[ollie989898]

Hasn’t had any sprays on it this spring couldn’t get on the field it was too wet so not worried about the cost. That’s the reason so much grass has come through

Ahh ok, I got ya. Just as well mow it off then, let it wilt down and pick it up with the grass when the chopper comes.

 

[Stuart1]

Hybrid Rye cost me £34.60 per tonne fresh weight for last years wholecrop @ 34%DM. All loads over the bridge. Wholecrop is a cheap feed on a dry matter basis. As for comparing it to grass it’s nothing like grass. I use it for a second forage to drive intakes in cows. The big benefit is only one harvest unlike the multi cut we do of constantly mowing and harvesting grass every 33 odd days.

 

[neilo]

Would like some opinions please…field of winter barley meant for combining but lots of grasses and Italians come through so will have to wholecrop. 1st cut silage this Friday and the barley is soft cheese and green. I know it hasn’t reached its potential starch and DM values but it would make things far easier to harvest it now whilst the contractors are with us and can bury it under the grass. Will it be pretty low value feed or anything useful? Tia

Starch will be lower than if it were near ripe, but protein and D value will be a lot higher for being greener/still vegetative. It’s just arable silage now, rather than wholecrop.
Swings and roundabouts.

 

[aled1590]

cut it this morning, surprised it went through the mower so well, tractor could definitely feel it! Thanks folks for your useful input